Katheriene
by valtrie
Summary: Adam just graduated and is ready to move on in the world. But just when he's ready to start living a new life he'll find everything he thought he knew about his old one was a lie. Now his real past is coming to hunt him down. chapter 3 on the way.
1. Prologue

**(a/n) I've been working on this idea for awhile and I hope you like it. This is the prologue, I've been working on revising both it and chapter one. Some probably very few will recognize the story. i decided to republish because it's been so long****.****R&R (even if you think don't like it i'd like to know)**

Katheriene **(a/n) pronounced like katherine**

I placed my hand on the last the column of the Andegio Theatre's grand entrance, admiring my work. The entire theatre was lovely, but the entrance; it was the crowning glory, elegant, beautiful, a reflection of the time it took.

But was it worth it? That was quite a question. Men build grand buildings to proclaim their greatness when their bodies are long gone, but this building would not leave a legacy for_ me_. Despite that, while I was looking up at the beautiful carvings of the great archway, nothing could possess me too say this was a pointless act. It was art, art that should be seen so that the world would know what great things could be accomplished with bricks and mortar, whether I could take credit or not.

I walked down the street, paying for a paper and folding it under my arm as I continued towards my car, lost in thought. I barely glanced up at the two men starring open mouth between my gray car and I.

Blah gray... I couldn't help thinking as I slid in the driver side, I would prefer red. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice car, from the expression on those guys' faces, they thought it was a_ really_ nice car. It's just... I don't know… I mean is it too much to ask for red?

I closed my door with a loud click and drove off without glancing back. It was time to get to business. As soon as I reached the city limits, I started speeding up. I was pleased to find even though the fire was missing in the color, it was present in the engine. These power cars could be touchy, but I new how to handle them. The acceleration was wonderfully smooth. I really did like the car, almost enough to forgive it for being gray.

As I hit the twisting turns of the scenic drive I had chosen for my little adventure, I sped up even more, the shadow of adrenaline racing through me. I knew I probably could've accelerated faster, but I preferred the build up.

Dusk was slowly spreading its blanket, as I reached the speedometers limit. The spotty light made it hard to see the warning signs at this speed but i knew I was coming up on a particularly treacherous piece of road that ran along a cliff edge. I grimaced a little as I turned to look at the newspaper in the passenger seat. It was open to the business section. the headline read:

Businesses Around the World Seek Contracts with Felicity Gates, New Talent on the Architecture Scene

It was almost a full-page coverage of everything you could possibly want to know about Felicity Gates. It was completely fictitious of course, but it had some nice fluff. I know for a fact that they made it all up because Felicity Gates had no family, no close friends, no one at all around to reveal details of her past. Felicity herself had been no help at all, and actually had done her best to halt any progress on the article. Despite the lack of sources, the article had been published with an amazing amount of background information for someone who had not even existed two years ago.

Unfortunately, they had been able to get a good picture. It was a snapshot of me standing among a group of fellow architects at the opening of the Andegio Theatre, little Adam by my side. That picture, was the reason I was here now. How frustrating these young ones are, so fragile and unaware, and yet with one careless photo they could send me packing.

I stared straight ahead at the sharp turn that I knew even I couldn't make at this speed. I didn't slow down. I just tried to slam my foot farther into the floor, and I smiled a little, because that bogus article, was going to give those newshounds a much bigger story to cover. They going to die of excitement when they heard. I can imagine them in a couple days already planning spin off articles while the paper is sent out, the front page reading;

Felicity Gates Involved In Fatal Car Crash. No Body Found

And as I went over the cliff, I had to laugh a bit at the cliche they would miss out on. I was getting out while I was ahead, and Felicity Gates was going out with a bang - literally.


	2. Chapter 1

**Okay... here's chapter one which is also kind of a prologue, chapter two is when the story actually begins hopefully you stick around for that. I know so far this hasn't been super interesting but i swear it'll get better... I have to put in the background though. R&R**

Chapter 1

Eric Libdon walked against the left wall of the back alley as quickly and quietly as humanly possible while still sticking close to the shadows. He tried to remain calm, but every little sound made him jump, truth be told he was scared out of his mind.

Though he now regretted ever taking the job, Eric had originally read Queen Mary's wanted ad with excitement, it had sounded to good to pass up… to good to be true. He had gone into the interview beyond eager... Maybe he should've been worried when the manager asked him how good he was at keeping secrets, but he didn't think anything of it. His mind was preoccupied with images of dollar signs… he never thought to ask why they were offering so much cash.

Now as he stumbled along the dark alley behind Mary's, he knew exactly why they offered so much money- because without it, no one in their right mind would stick around for this job.

Eric drew himself closer to the wall as the door on the right swung open, revealing a figure, he held his breath as they walked by. He remembered his first alley run and what he had been told: the first and only rule was never to bother the back alley-ers, His predecessor had broken that rule… after his first few runs Eric could guess why there had been no need to fire the boy.

That's because _the alley_ wasn't what the workers of Queen Mary's feared. _The alley_ wasn't the secret they were all sworn too keep… it was the _people_… the ones who walked the back alleys. Though people was a very loose term... Eric wasn't quite sure _what_ they were but he knew in one year of waiter-ing he had seen more freaky things then he ever did on the sci-fi channel.

In the beginning he had asked a lot of questions about the back alley-ers but after awhile he stopped _wanting _to know what they were. Now he just wanted to get this last trip over as quickly as possible and then forget the strange beings even existed.

As Eric reached the store room door he almost sighed in relief, his clammy hands fumbling with the keys until he could unlock the door and set his load inside. He twisted the lock shut as quickly as he could, and started to head back towards the front of Queen Mary's, unfortunately before he could make it more then a few feet the door on the right swung open again.

Eric pushed himself against the wall yet again squeezing his eyes shut trying his best to quiet his breathing. A tall back alley-man walked out and then paused as if waiting. Eric slowly slid down the wall closing his hands around his knees. His instincts told him to run but he wouldn't… that would be stupid. He had been told that upon encountering a back alley-er he was to wait silently and become as unobtrusive as possible, Eric knew this to be very good advice, you stood no chance when you ran… they liked it when you ran... but if you were still then they'd ignore you. The door banged open again and Eric peeked at the group of figures walking out, three of them continued walking, but the fourth a smaller cloaked figure stayed in the alley staring at the tall man in front of Eric. The man's eyes followed the three stumbling laughing figures until a low hiss brought his gaze back to the cloaked figure. "Katheriene, It's been to long, dare I say you look as lovely as ever." He greeted the figure. The cloaked one, Katrene? possibly that's what it had sounded like, did not move though it must have said something because the tall one spoke again.

"And just as pleasant too" he muttered with a smirk, "Aren't you rather young too be drinking my dear little Katie?"

The small figure stiffened noticeably. "We both know I'm quite old enough Paul. My youthfulness would not be a problem if not for you." The voice surprised Eric as it rang out distinctly soprano, this one was female.

The man, Paul, laughed "Katie, dear little Katie, When will you learn." He opened his hands in a helpless gesture. Walking forward until he could run a hand down her cheek she snapped away before Eric could blink. "This," he gestured at her as a whole, "Is not my fault, I would've had you die on that hill. He chose this life for you. You have been nothing but a thorn in my side since that day."

Katie's reply was indignant,"If you could've just left us alone I wouldn't be here to bother you" Obviously the two we're talking of some past event… Eric couldn't follow. Paul laughed then said something Eric couldn't catch, suddenly the small figure was flying at Paul.

Eric started to jump back surprised at the sudden aggression but his back was already tight against the wall so there was no where to jump. He looked longingly towards the alley considering whether or not to make a break for it...

suddenly a thunderous crash brought his eyes back to the alley.

Though Eric had not expected the attack Paul seemed to have anticipated it.

Katie was lying on the ground next to a human sized dent in the metal door, she didn't move.

The man was laughing still.

Eric bit his lip not knowing what would happen next, the back alley brawls where as unpredictable as they where sudden, perhaps he was about to witness a murder. He whimpered a little at the thought but then caught him self…

he needed to be silent.

Paul was walking towards her now. He cocked his head to the side starring at her, "Will you give up so easily Katie?" he was looming over her now, grinning, he picked his foot up to push her head to the side.

Then, faster then Eric could see, Paul was on the ground Katie on top of him as they wrestled.

Eric blinked slowly…

in that time Katie was thrown towards the wall again, Eric didn't see her flight but he heard the crunch of bricks. She didn't lay there this time…

she came back at Paul as fast as she had gone. Eric was sweating it took him a few moments to realize it wasn't fear that had opened his pores… but the heat.

The fight continued at that speed, as Eric watched eyes wide, except for a few split second pauses he only saw a fog of motion.

Suddenly the blurs stopped and Eric saw the two embracing tightly.

He tugged briefly at his uncomfortably warm damp shirt while His brows knit together trying to make sense of what had happened,

he realized Paul was trying to pull Katie off him. She seemed to be attached to his shoulder by the mouth…

she was biting him.

Paul shook her body roughly, hard enough to break the bones of any human, but Katie remained stubbornly attached.

Eric panted a little as a wave of heat seared through him his fingers curled inward as they sought to escape the air that burned them.

Paul tried harder and harder to remove the clinging figure as the air got hotter.

Eric caught a glance of Paul's frantic eyes the desperation was apparent on his face. Eric gave the look little thought though for the climate was quickly becoming unbearable.

He could swear his skin was boiling it was so hot...

He couldn't focus, couldn't think, everything was fire and black, his cracked bloodied lips formed a silent scream.

Then suddenly with a loud crack the burn disappeared. Eric gulped greedily at the cold damp air as he slumped weakly against the wall.

After a few moments Eric rolled his head to the side to see Katie lying on the ground shaking. She looked as though she was having a seizure, Paul was standing over her smirking again saying something, it took Eric a minute to make his ears work again.

"-new trick, I like it, might borrow it sometime if you don't mind." He paused for a response that did not come then continued, "It almost makes this little detour in our conversation worth my time." Eric couldn't believe he was still talking in that same polite tone, as if nothing had happened. "Anyway the topic I wished to bring up before you rudely interrupted me with your savage tantrum was a news article in the _Dunham Times_ about a month ago." Katie made an unintelligible sound. "I see you know the article of which I speak, frankly I'm surprised you would be so careless my dear, but that's besides the point, we're all entitled to our brief lapses. Actually it wasn't the article it self that caught my attention but rather the picture that accompanied it." Katie's body shook again, "Yes that picture… the boy in it, he looked very familiar. Of course the fuzzy photograph and the hair threw me off for a bit, But the resemblance is unmistakable.. change the hair color and he could more then pass… He's one of them isn't he? The last if I'm not mistaken, why else would you keep him so close?" Paul seemed to be thinking out loud at this point not even bothering to pause between questions, "You've never guarded one of your charges so vigorously before… he's your last hope isn't he? You had no choice." Paul laughed. "Regardless I know if he's important to you, he's a danger to me. So this is your only warning:

"Hide him Katie, and hide him well, because when I find him, I'm going to kill him. I've gained some respect for you dear Katie… don't disappoint me. Make it a good game this time. Let's play cat and mouse. "

Paul walked out of the alley slowly, leaving Katie's inert form. Eric looked on cautiously wondering if it was safe to leave. Suddenly Katie's body gave one giant heave causing her hood to finally fall back revealing her face for the first time. Eric's mind went blank for a moment as he looked. The girl… she looked so … so fragile, pretty… He couldn't fit such a face with the wild animal like figure he had seen moments ago. He forgot everything he knew he should be thinking about. Shifting unconsciously closer as he examined her. This tiny woman did not- could not- seem dangerous. He took a sharp breathe as he looked on at the face perfect even in it's troubled frown. His hand reached out unbidden longing to smooth the lines along her forehead.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open. Those black eyes were unnerving even in such a pretty face. Eric willed himself to look away then but he could not. The blackness caught him fogging over his mind, she starred at him searchingly for less then a minute before sitting up. She stood pulling her hood back on and walked into the night.

The bartender of Queen Mary's found Eric scrunched up against the wall the next day… shaking and muttering incoherently, clothes stuck to his body with sweat. They pulled him out of the alley and sent him home to rest. He didn't come back for his last pay check.

**so there's chapter one...eric probly won't be mentioned anymore i just didn't want to write from Katie's pov yet. PPPPPPLLLLLLLLLEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! review i'm shamelessly begging!!!!!!!!!!!!. What ever you feel should be said... even if it's just one word would be highly apreciated.  
**


End file.
